He made one last promise. “If you want me to drive you to the nearest phone after you’ve talked to Knox, I will. You can call in the cavalry to come get you. And I’m hoping, by that point, you’ll be willing to keep our location a secret until we can clear Knox’s name. But that’ll be up to you.” He offered her his most charming grin. “See? I’m willing to take a chance on you. How about you take a chance on me too?”
Her voice was rough when she said, “You’re asking me to give up my one tether to the outside world while I let you take me to god knows where.”
“You’re the one with all the weapons,” he countered.
She searched his eyes. She must’ve found something to convince her he was telling her the truth because she blew out a windy breath and slipped her phone from her fanny pack. She used the old-fashioned lever to roll down the window, then slid her cell phone through the breach. He heard it hit the dry dirt floor of the barn with a softthud.
“Not that we’re likely to be going anywhere,” she said after she rolled up the window. “This bucket of bolts?—”
Her sentence died in her throat when he sparked two wires together and the truck’s engine turned over with a well-tuned purr.
“Gotta love country boys.” He patted the dashboard affectionately. “Their equipment might look like shit on a shingle, but it usually runs like a racehorse.”
She glanced at the exposed steering column and the dangling wires now illuminated by the light from the dash. “The Army Rangers teach you how to do that?”
He winced and admitted, “When your older brother gets his criminal start by boosting cars, you pick up a thing or two.”
And then, before the remaining tactical team members could give chase, he slammed his foot on the gas and burst from the barn. The truck’s nubby tires skipped across the gravel of the drive, forcing Julia to cling to the oh-shit bar bolted onto her door.
He glanced into the rearview mirror and saw the two remaining tactical team members racing across the field in their direction. Their flashlights blazed through the night to meet the red glare of his taillights.
Fortunately, they were too far away to take shots. And it wasn’t long before the dust kicked up from the tires swallowed their images.
When he flew out of the driveway and onto the lane on two wheels, Julia screeched, “Where did you learn to drive?”
The laugh that burst from him was genuine. Despite how shitty his situation was, despite the danger to himself and his brother and the Black Knights, he had Julia O’Toole in the truck, and he couldn’t remember the last time he’d been so happy.
“You’re one to talk, Miss Hasn’t Met a Curb She Doesn’t Like.”
“How would you know that?”
Shit.
He’d given himself away. Had broadcast the fact he’d been stalking her.
Thinking quickly, he turned the question back to her. “Am I wrong? Are you actually Dale Earnhardt in a dress?”
He breathed a sigh of relief when his distraction worked. “Irarelywear a dress. And isn’t Earnhardt widely recognized as a world-class asshole? I think I’m offended.”
He slid her a sly glance as he hung a right onto a county road. “That’s too bad. I bet you look amazing in a dress.”
She scowled at him. “Do us both a favor and keep your eyes on the road, Sergeant.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
He was grinning ear to ear.
16
County Road 628, Traverse City
You’re a damned idiot, Jules.
The refrain had circled in Julia’s mind for the last hour. As the minutes stretched on, and as they’d taken so many turns down backwoods roads that she was completely turned around, it’d dawned on her that she was, in effect, putting her faith in a complete stranger.
Yes, she’d read Britt’s file—what little of it was left. Yes, she’d spent months fantasizing about jumping on him like a bouncy house. Yes, she’d spoken to him several times, had flirted with him on half a dozen occasions, and had kissed him once. But what did shereallyknow about him?
Jack shit, that’s what.
